Paganism, Easter, Halloween and Christmas.

[phipps]

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First, your second reply to me about easter is just rewording what I just said.

Then you misunderstood what I wrote especially the bit about distancing ourselves from pagan everything. You don't seem to mind that. I do.

second, arguments about theology is inevitable as Paul and Peter also had their own history.

While they had disagreements that are in the Bible, Peter and Paul spoke according to God's Word and they are in harmony with it. The whole Bible is in harmony.

third, If that's what you believe about Michael then I dont need to argue any further because if you already made up your mind then I prefer to leave the debate as when I'm debating about theology or doctrines I'm not participating to win the debate or be the last one to reply, but just to state what I believe. That is all.

What I believe about Michael the Archangel is in harmony with the Bible. So yes arguing with me on the truth of the Bible is useless. Its not about winning, its about truth. Although in these forums with all Christians I've dealt with except one, its about truth of the Bible until it contradicts their doctrines. Then they choose doctrine over the Word of God.

2 timothy 2:14 "Remind them of these things, and charge them before God not to quarrel about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers.

Thanks for reminding me. I'm not quarrelling though am I? I find when I don't agree with people on here they start saying I'm quarrelling or worked up. I'm not!

 

[Thunderian]

I find when I don't agree with people on here they start saying I'm quarelling or worked up.

You do get a tad bit huffy sometimes.

 

[phipps]

Amen. So why are you bothering trying to put pagan labels on what is clearly a celebration of our Creator?

You don't get it do you? God did not ask us to celebrate easter. Easter is a man made tradition steeped in paganism, that is different to putting names on days that God had already created.

 

[Allegra]

[



Then you misunderstood what I wrote especially the bit about distancing ourselves from pagan anything. You don't seem to mind that. I do.



While they had disagreements that are in the Bible, Peter and Paul spoke according to the God's Word and they are in harmony with it. The whole Bible is in harmony.



What I believe about Michael the Archangel is in harmony with the Bible. So yes arguing with me on the truth of the Bible is useless. Its not about winning, its about truth. Although in these forums with all Christians I've dealt with except one, its about truth of the Bible until it contradicts with their doctrines. Then they choose doctrine over the Word of God.


Thanks for reminding me. I'm not quarelling though am I? I find when I don't agree with people on here they start saying I'm quarelling or worked up.

Yes, but still Paul and Peter had disagreements right?

Oh and also, there's a thin line between truth, belief and justification.

I leave it at that.

Peace out guys and gals.

 

[phipps]

You do get a tad bit huffy sometimes.

I do but I'm not now.

 

[Thunderian]

Easter is a man made tradition steeped in paganism

So. Is. Calling. The. Sixth. Day. Of. The. Week. Friday.

 

[phipps]

I leave it at that.

Peace out guys and gals.

Yes, but still Paul and Peter had disagreements right?

Yes Paul and Peter had disagreements. Are there any people who don't have disagreements? However their writings in the Bible harmonise with the entire Bible.

Oh and also, there's a thin line between truth, belief and justification.

Yes and as Christians we should strive to understand what that line is.

Bye.

 

[Thunderian]

If you can call the sixth day of the week Friday without honouring some pagan goddess, why can't I call my celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Easter without doing the same? You're a hypocrite, @phipps. Tell me how you're not?

There is not a single part of the Christian celebration of Easter that is not about Jesus, except a possible connection with the name of an ancient pagan celebration. The entire focus is on Jesus Christ, as it should be. If you want to get hung up on a name, go ahead and do that, but please don't try and make like Christians who celebrate Easter are somehow honouring a pagan goddess.

 

[phipps]

I've only relatively recently discovered the co-option of Christianity by paganism and am reaching the point where I am not even entirely sure if I still want to use the label, given the centuries-long smear campaign that claimed millions of lives and how easy it always has been and still is to attach personal agenda and greed to a title/identity (like most churches today). So I'm still trying to figure out just how much of what is called "Christianity" is in fact something vastly different to the creed of Jesus's direct followers. That being said, I won't judge anyone claiming to be a believer who chooses to celebrate Easter simply because I have close friends and family who do but are still genuine believers. It's just been my personal conviction to not consecrate days unto God originally intended for the honour of idols. The same applies to the Sabbath. Not out of fear of condemnation really, but more out of a genuine desire to want to please Him.

I agree but I'm not judging anyone. As Christians we should point out errors if there are any. I like you believe that many genuine Christians follow man made traditions because they don't know the truth. I believe when they find out the truth they will stop and follow only what God asks them to do. I too have close friends and family who celebrate easter, christmas and go to Church on Sunday. We've told some of them the truth about those days and they still choose to continue to celebrate those days because they've been doing it for years and don't know how to stop. God convicts all of us of the truth at different stages of our lives.

You're right we should all genuinely desire to please God.

 

[phipps]

If you can call the sixth day of the week Friday without honouring some pagan goddess, why can't I call my celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Easter without doing the same? You're a hypocrite, @phipps. Tell me how you're not?

There is not a single part of the Christian celebration of Easter that is not about Jesus, except a possible connection with the name of an ancient pagan celebration. The entire focus is on Jesus Christ, as it should be. If you want to get hung up on a name, go ahead and do that, but please don't try and make like Christians who celebrate Easter are somehow honouring a pagan goddess.

We are going round in circles here. I've already explained that God created the days and time. I'm not honouring any pagan god by calling the sixth day Friday. Its not about the name its about the day. God never set a day aside for easter to be celebrated did He? Its about celebrating a day that we aren't required to. There is nothing wrong with remembering Jesus' death and resurrection but biblically it doesn't require a day.

The only day we are asked to remember in the Bible is the Sabbath.

I'm not a hypocrite and I know you get what I'm saying and you know its true.

 

[Thunderian]

I'm not honouring any pagan god by calling the sixth day Friday. Its not about the name its about the day.

Exactly! So why am I celebrating a pagan goddess by calling the day of my celebration of Jesus Christ Easter, but you aren't celebrating a pagan goddess by using the name Friday? Why is it alright for you to do it, but not for me?

We always end up at this point. I keep asking the same question over and over again, while you just keep repeating the same thing, without attempting to answer my question.

No one is saying we must celebrate Easter. You are right that it's not commanded in the Bible. But that has nothing to do with my question, or your lack of answer for it.

 

[bible_student]

Amen. So why are you bothering trying to put pagan labels on what is clearly a celebration of our Creator?

I think what Phipps is saying here is that it is actually believing and following the Truth which is important (and that it should matter to people since it does matter to God) and not what a bunch of merry people have cleverly decided for themselves is going to be "ok" to do and have as their customs, just because they all say so... and thereby are showing they don't actually really care what God says.

Perhaps re-reading the story of Cain and Abel in Genesis and what happened in that situation would be worthwhile, as it illustrates the point well. Able just did what God asked and was then accepted. But Cain thought he was clever, and then arrogantly did what he had decided was going to be "ok" and what he decided God should be willing to accept instead of what God had actually asked of them, and Cain was then rejected.

 

[bible_student]

The term “Easter” appears only once in the KJV where it was intentionally misinterpreted. It is an obvious mistranslation because it was translated from the Greek word "pascha" (which in Hebrew is "pesach") which, in each of the other 28 times that word appears in the New Testament, is correctly translated as the Passover. So Acts 12:4 stands out as a complete anomaly as it is the only place where pascha is translated to "Easter" instead of Passover.

The 29 occurrences of the word "pascha" in the original Greek text of the New Testament:-

(4) Matthew 26:2, 26:17, 18, 19
(5) Mark 14:1, 12 (twice), 14, 16
(7) Luke 2:41, 22:1, 7, 8, 11, 13, 15
(10) John 2:13, 23, 6:4, 11:55 (twice), 12:1, 13:1, 18:28, 39, 19:14
(1) 1 Corinthians 5:7
(1) Hebrews 11:28
(1) Acts 12:4

Acts 12:3-4 (KJV)
12:3 And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.)
12:4 And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people.

It should be self-evident from the context that the Greek word “pascha” was referring to Passover here, just as it was the other 28 times it was correctly translated in the verses listed above. The feast of unleavened bread is Passover, NOT Easter.

Acts 12:3-4 (King of kings' Bible)
12:3 And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.)
12:4 And when he had apprehended him, he put [him] in prison, and delivered [him] to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Passover to bring him forth to the people.

Passover Lamb NOT Easter Bunny

 

[Thunderian]

My grandparents didn't call it Easter. They didn't know the word. The celebration of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, for them, was called Pascha. They were from Ukraine, or Poland, or somewhere, but the name Pascha is a transliteration of the Greek word, which is itself a transliteration of the Aramaic pascha, from the Hebrew pesach. meaning Passover. But I wonder if my dear grandparents knew that, as soon as they started calling it Easter instead of Pascha, they were not remembering the Passover death of their saviour any longer, but were actually, through some spiritual loophole, worshiping any number of ancient pagan goddesses.

Celebrating Passover in remembrance of Jesus Christ is an institution of the Church, commanded by our Lord as he sat at Passover with his disciples, so I guess I was wrong before, and so is @phipps. It is commanded in the Bible that we celebrate Easter. It's not a coincidence that we are observing the Christian holiday of Easter at the same time the nation of Israel is celebrating their Passover. This is a time of much spiritual significance, and God knows who is honouring him. It's unfortunate that there many outside of the body of Christ who celebrate this as Passover, without knowing it's true significance, and it's also unfortunate that there are some in the body of Christ who are foregoing this ancient Christian ordinance, on account of they don't like the name it's called by in North America.

Happy Easter, brothers and sisters. Happy Pascha. Jesus Christ is alive! Христос воскрес! Have a safe and blessed Passover, everyone who celebrates it. God bless you all.

 

[Allegra]

Oh wow that is interesting, in my native language we call Easter “Paskah”.

 

[phipps]

Exactly! So why am I celebrating a pagan goddess by calling the day of my celebration of Jesus Christ Easter, but you aren't celebrating a pagan goddess by using the name Friday? Why is it alright for you to do it, but not for me?

We always end up at this point. I keep asking the same question over and over again, while you just keep repeating the same thing, without attempting to answer my question.

No one is saying we must celebrate Easter. You are right that it's not commanded in the Bible. But that has nothing to do with my question, or your lack of answer for it.

You refuse to get the point intentionally. God created the sixth day. The pagans putting a name to it doesn't change that fact. Its just a name. There is no celebration attached to it. The pagans chose a day, easter and on that day they celebrated their pagan gods. It is this very celebration that was transferred into Christendom and celebrated. The selection of this day was based solely on pagan considerations, and people later contrived the means by which to incorporate them into the Christian religion. We should have nothing to do with paganism and their traditions.

Don't ask me the question again.

 

[Allegra]

We call it "paasfees".

Fufufufufufufufu interesting. Is it from African language? At least that’s what my google translate says O_O

I wonder why is it called Easter in English. Other languages usually close to word Pascha.

 

[phipps]

My grandparents didn't call it Easter. They didn't know the word. The celebration of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, for them, was called Pascha. They were from Ukraine, or Poland, or somewhere, but the name Pascha is a transliteration of the Greek word, which is itself a transliteration of the Aramaic pascha, from the Hebrew pesach. meaning Passover. But I wonder if my dear grandparents knew that, as soon as they started calling it Easter instead of Pascha, they were not remembering the Passover death of their saviour any longer, but were actually, through some spiritual loophole, worshiping any number of ancient pagan goddesses.

Celebrating Passover in remembrance of Jesus Christ is an institution of the Church, commanded by our Lord as he sat at Passover with his disciples, so I guess I was wrong before, and so is @phipps. It is commanded in the Bible that we celebrate Easter. It's not a coincidence that we are observing the Christian holiday of Easter at the same time the nation of Israel is celebrating their Passover. This is a time of much spiritual significance, and God knows who is honouring him. It's unfortunate that there many outside of the body of Christ who celebrate this as Passover, without knowing it's true significance, and it's also unfortunate that there are some in the body of Christ who are foregoing this ancient Christian ordinance, on account of they don't like the name it's called by in North America.

Happy Easter, brothers and sisters. Happy Pascha. Jesus Christ is alive! Христос воскрес! Have a safe and blessed Passover, everyone who celebrates it. God bless you all.

Passover has got nothing to do with easter. I know some Christians think easter replaced Passover but not biblically. Passover was one of the ceremonial feasts that represented the crucifixion of Christ. In 1 Corinthians 5:7 Paul says, “For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.” Christ’s sacrifice fulfilled the Passover feast. No one should be celebrating Passover since Jesus was crucified. To celebrate Passover is to deny that Jesus was crucified.

Passover was not instituted by Christ with the disciples. That was the communion service. The Communion service replaced Passover. The first communion service Jesus had was a Passover service. He said “I want to eat Passover with you” and that was the Last Supper. The Last Supper was a Passover because Jesus had not yet been crucified. But it changed. The old Passover they’d kill a lamb. We don’t need to kill a lamb any more because Jesus is our Lamb.

We are not commanded to celebrate easter at all in the Bible. The communion service to remember His death does not have a specific day either. We can do it on any day.

"And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, this cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come" (1 Corinthians 11:24-26).


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[Allegra]

I was quite surprised reading it just now o_o it was on the last day of my detox plan which is today. It feels like I’m being scolded. Just want to share this, that’s all. God bless everyone.
Oof indeed.

 

[phipps]

Jesus taught that it is not possible to preach the gospel without causing some offense (Galatians 5:11). Jesus was crucified because He taught the truth and the Jewish leaders disagreed with Him and were offended by what He said. So they plotted and planned His death.

The apostles were all killed or imprisoned for their faith because their message offended somebody. “All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12).

However many people heard the truth too from Jesus and the apostles and their lives were changed forever. They found God.

Its not judging to tell the truth of God's Word.